Boil Water Notice Rescinded For Cottage Hill Water Works Customers In Cedar Tree Lane Area
March 4, 2022
Thursday, Cottage Hill Water Works rescinded a precautionary boil water notice that was issued Monday following a water main break on Cedar Tree Lane.
The boil water notice included all of Cedar Tree Lane from Highway 95A west past Highway 29, along with Cedar Park Drive and Cedar Point Road.
If you have any questions you may contact the utility’s office at (850) 968-5485.
Update: Woman Reportedly Kidnapped At Gunpoint Has Been Located
March 3, 2022
UPDATE: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said a woman allegedly kidnapped from her car at gunpoint Thursday morning has been located.
In a statement, ECSO said, “Just before 4:00 this afternoon, Brianna McGuire was safely located at a home in Escambia County. Nicholas Jody Liberto has also been located. This is an ongoing investigation.”
No further information was provided
PREVIOUS STORY:
A woman was kidnapped at gunpoint from her car Thursday morning in Escambia County.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, 24-year old Brianna Renae McGuire was reported kidnapped at gunpoint from a car on Norstum Drive. That’s off Airway Drive just south of Nine Mile Road.
Deputies said 26-year old Nicholas Jody Liberto is believed to be one of the two alleged kidnappers. They left the area in what appeared to be a red or orange Jeep Renegade.
Liberto and the other suspect are considered armed and dangerous. Anyone that sees them is asked to call 911 immediately.
Sheriff Addresses Rumors, Unfounded Report Of Student With A Gun On Tate High Campus
March 3, 2022
[NorthEscambia.com Exclusive] — Wednesday morning, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office received an unfounded report of a student with a gun on the Tate High School campus. No gun was found, but social media was full of conflicting rumors.
“It triggers a response from law enforcement and the school district,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said. “If it has merit, our response will be immediate and overwhelming.”
The unfounded report was ultimately found to be related to the suspension of a student for a violation of the school district’s weapons policies in mid-February and his return to campus Wednesday morning.
NorthEscambia.com has learned that a rifle was found about two weeks ago inside the student’s truck while it was parked on campus. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said it was determined in consultation with the State Attorney’s Office that no law was broken.
The school then suspended the student for violating their rules. The student missed a meeting Tuesday to discuss the suspension, and he had a letter in hand that stated that he could return to campus Wednesday, ECSO said.
NorthEscambia.com obtained a copy of that letter from one of the student’s parents. The letter is posted above, with identifying information redacted by us.
“It has become necessary that we place [student] back into your supervision during the school hours for ten days, beginning February 15, 2022 and ending March 1, 2022,” the letter from a Tate High dean stated. “Unless you are otherwise advised, this student must not return to school until March 2, 2022.”
ECSO said they were asked Wednesday to remove the student for trespassing, but they were unable to do so because he was never trespassed warned before Wednesday. The Sheriff’s Office stated that the student never made any threat involving a weapon.
Meanwhile, social media told a very different story. Students, parents and others claiming to be in the know posted a variety of rumors, unsubstantiated claims and sometimes altered or old unconfirmed screenshots showing alleged threats. And the rumors grew and changed rapidly.
“Oftentimes, a small piece of information balloons into something that is incognizable from the original,” Simmons said. “Once the rumor starts, they can spread these things and they put their own interpretations on those posts or those photos. Quite frankly, they made those things up.”
The sheriff said his deputies work quickly in a situation like that on Wednesday to see what actually has transpired and how any threat originated.
“It is really counterproductive to the safety and the security of our schools,” said Cody Strother, spokesperson for the Escambia County School District. “The safety and safety and security of our staff and students are so important, and we are grateful for our staff, law enforcement partners and our families for their assistance.”
During Wednesday’s lockdown, parents gathered outside the locked gates at Tate High School to checkout their children as the rumors continued to swirl online. Additional rumors or violence or threats began to circulate after an ambulance arrived on campus. But the ambulance was responding to a seemingly minor medical problem suffered by an adult that was unrelated to the lockdown incident.
“As a parent I understand people want to make sure their children are safe,” Simmons said.
“When we are in certain level security scenarios, students are much safer on campus in the place where they are,” Strother stated.
NorthEsambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Family Looking For Two Cats Missing After House Fire In Cottage Hill
March 3, 2022
A Cottage Hill family is looking for their cats following a house fire Monday.
The fire caused significant damage to the home on Highway 95A at McKenzie Road [More info..] Escambia Fire Rescue rescued a dog from the home, but two cats ran away.
“I’m desperate to find them,” Jourdan Truitt said.
Sylar is a tuxedo black and white cat, and the other is a tabby cat named Miles. Miles is blind in one eye, so it appears to be glassed over.
“I have weaned both these cats from birth and they are very important to me,” Truitt said.
Anyone that has seen Sylar or Miles can call or text (850) 341-3920.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF Argos Football Team Reads To Pine Meadow Elementary Students
March 3, 2022
Members of the University of West Florida Argos football team read books to students Wednesday at Pine Meadow Elementary School.
Wednesday was National Read Across America Day, an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss.
The Pine Meadow Panthers were very excited to listen to the stories and lessons from the players.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
600 Inmates To Be Moved Out Of Old, Moldy, Leaky Jail
March 3, 2022
Escambia County plans to move 600 inmates out of the old county jail and annex due to mold, leaks and other unacceptable conditions.
The inmates will be shifted into four currently unused housing units, known as pods, in the new jail while about 200 minimum security inmates will move to the Work Release Center on Fairfield Drive. The move will begin next week.
The old jail and annex were built in 1981 and 1984 respectively but still house prisoners in addition to the new jail that opened last year. In the older facilities, there is mold growing on walls and ceilings, cracked windows, and leaks that have been repaired with tarps that catch water before it is drained away with a hose.
NorthEscambia.com was first last week to report on the problems in the old jail. Click or tap here for that story.
The Escambia County Commission is expected to discuss the future of the old buildings and if they should be repaired or replaced.
The Escambia County jail is managed by the county, not the sheriff’s office.
Contributed photos by Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Clerk Childers Sues County, Three Commissioners Over Retirement Plan Contributions
March 3, 2022
Escambia County Clerk Pam Childers and the Escambia County Commission have now filed suit against each other in an ongoing retirement plan dispute.
It’s called a 401(a) annuity program, and under state statute is offered only to senior management service employees and commissioners that opt out of the Florida Retirement System (FRS). It’s available statewide, not just in Escambia County.
Last summer, Childers said commissioner participation in the plan is illegal. Childers, who essentially holds the county’s checkbook as clerk, started withholding contributions to the retirement plan. The county commission then filed suit against her.
Wednesday, she answered with a motion to quash the county’s suit and filed her own lawsuit against Escambia County and commissioners Steven Barry, Robert Bender and Lumon May – the three commissioners that currently participate in the 401(a) plan. She also wants $130,000 paid into the plan for the commissioners returned, claiming the payments were made without legal authority.
“As Clerk, and in my duties as Auditor, I have an obligation to shield the public from unlawful expenditures,” Childers said. “It has come to my attention that Escambia County has directed payment to private retirement accounts for Barry, May and Bender, without legal authority. I have obtained a legal opinion that those payments, deemed to be compensation, must be authorized by general law for these commissioners. I find no general law so authorizing.”
After learning of the lawsuit in which he is named, Barry told NorthEscambia.com, “In contrast to the apparent interest of some, the issue will be decided in an actual court of law, not a court of public opinion, and I look forward to that opportunity.”
Judges in Escambia County have recused themselves from the county’s action and it has been referred to Judge William Stone in Okaloosa County. Childers said she will be moving to consolidate the lawsuits.
401(a) Annuity Program
The plan does not cost Escambia County taxpayers anything extra when contributions are made in a timely fashion; the employee contributions are exactly the same whether or not the money goes into FRS or the annuity program. FRS has significant administrative overhead and fund liability that is funded from employee contributions. The 401(a) annuity plan participant costs are lower, so participants can earn significantly more retirement dollars.
That means what taxpayers contribute for the 401(a) annuity program individually for Barry, Bender and May is equal to the taxpayer cost individually for commissioners Jeff Bergosh and Doug Underhill, both of which opted for a FRS retirement benefit.
Escambia County has offered a 401(a) annuity program to senior management employees and elected officials since 1997.
Mostly Sunny, Upper 70s And Becoming Warmer
March 3, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45. Calm wind.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 79. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 81. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 80.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.
Tate High Placed On Lockdown Wednesday Morning
March 2, 2022
Tate High School was on a lockdown Wednesday morning after reports of someone with a gun on campus.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a student with a gun, but there was no issue, according to Amber Southard, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident involved a student that was suspended recently, according to Southard. The student had a letter in hand that stated that he could return to campus Wednesday, but he missed a meeting on Tuesday where that return permission was to have been canceled.
“He did not trespass because he was never trespass warned from the campus before today and had the letter,” Southard said. “He was informed today and sent on his way.”
Shortly after the incident, with many parents still outside the school gates, Escambia County EMS responded for an unrelated call of an adult with a minor medical issue.
Florida Power & Light Says Reliability Has Improved Over Gulf Power
March 2, 2022
Florida Power & Light Company says customers in Northwest Florida have seen a 58% improvement in the reliability of their electric service since becoming part of NextEra Energy in 2019.
An annual report filed Tuesday with the Florida Public Service Commission shows that the average amount of time an FPL customer in Northwest Florida experienced an outage in 2021 was 58% lower than in 2018 – the best score in history for the former Gulf Power Company, which was purchased by NextEra Energy in 2019. Customers began receiving service under the FPL name at the beginning of this year.
Another key industry metric used to track electric service, the average number of interruptions experienced by a customer, was also the best in history for the region. This metric improved 48% since 2018.